There's More To Life Than Chips
by FireOpal
Summary: They ran, hand in hand, jumping and tripping over their own feet, tatters of clothes flying out behind them. After another hard day out of the TARDIS, an age old question is asked. 9Rose. Fluffy chipness.


**FireOpal:-** The obligatory 'kiss 'n chips' episode. Probably been done. Apologies if it has.

**There's More To Life Than Chips.**

They ran, hand in hand, jumping and tripping over their own feet, tatters of clothes flying out behind them. Actually, it was mostly Roses' clothes that where in tatters (as a result of a nasty console-explosion and laser-fire) and the Doctor looked harried, but mostly immaculate. As always.

The duo skidded to a halt outside of the blue box that was the Doctor's time machine, and, fumbling for his keys in his pocket, drug out the TARDIS key, slipped it in the lock and they fell in. Luckily, due to his Time Lord reflexes, the Doctor managed to stay mostly upright as Rose sprawled on the floor, red t-shirt soaking up tiny specks of blood from her mostly flesh wounds. Jumping to the controls of the machine, he quickly set about setting coordinates, punching buttons (and, need I say it, hammering parts of the controls) to get them off of the self-destructing space ship.

With the loud whirring and jolting movement typical of the Type 40, the one-of-a-kind machine spun into life, and disappeared from the metal corridor of the space ship, seconds before fire engulfed the hull and it exploded. Luckily, no one was aboard (save a few dead aliens), so no one was harmed in the explosion which heralded the end of another of their infamous adventures. Still panting slightly from the long run and the speed in which he had had to manhandle his ship, the Doctor leant against the monitor with a silly grin on his face.

Lifting her head slowly from the floor (she hadn't bothered to get up – the TARDIS, wonderfully temperamental thing that it was, loved to knock her down), Rose looked up at the Doctor, with his grin, and groaned lightly. Typical. Here they were, saved by luck (the Doctor didn't believe in luck) in the nick of time, and he was grinning. There should be a law against it. But they were safe. For now.

His breath returned, the Doctor looked across at his companion concerned, and the grin faded slightly. Crossing the metal decking quickly, he reached down and offered his hand.

"You alright?" Taking the proffered limb gratefully, Rose grimaced as her muscles protested all movement.

"Me? I'm peachy." She grumbled, standing. Then, taking a look at his serious face with their deeply concerned blue eyes, she grinned. "Nah, I'll be all right. Just a flesh wound. Or two."

He grinned back at her, his arm dropping to his side as she regained her balance.

"Chips?" he asked mischievously. It had become a ritual for them now. Go on a jaunt, make some new friends, save the world, have chips. It was a brief moment of familiarity in their rather haphazard lives.

"Nah," she replied, "I fancy something a little different." His face fell, half in shock, half in sadness. He rather liked their new routine; it was simple, and with his life, so full of complications, he craved simple.

"Oh." He said, rather failing to cover his mood. "What do you fancy then?"

"Well…" she replied, tugging at the end of her left sleeve with her right hand (a nervous habit he had become fond of). "I wouldn't mind a bit of this."

She leant forward, closing the small gap between them, and gently brushed his lips with hers. In shock, the Doctor stood still for a few seconds, and she drew back, face flaming. "Sorry."

"I, oh bugger it." He said uncomfortably, before leaning back, catching her face gently with one hand and kissing her back. She leant into the touch eagerly, tentatively reaching out to stroke a line down the side of his face. When they drew back, they were both grinning.

"Now that," Rose said quietly, "I think that was better than chips."

"Definitely. That was…" he searched for the word. "Fantastic!" Rose rolled her eyes playfully and punched him lightly on the arm. He pouted in mock-hurt, the effect spoiled by the face-cracking grin that lit his features.

"Hey, that hurt!"

"Baby! That wouldn't hurt a Bagebian fly!" she returned, eyes alight.

"Not a lot would hurt a Bagebian fly." He pointed out, moving back to the control panel. Rose followed quickly, and they stood side by side. After a few seconds, the Doctor placed his arm over her shoulders, and she curled into his torso.

"So, what do you want to do now? There's this little place I know in the part of space you know as Orion's Belt…" he said softly, putting aside all his concerns for a minute. She thought for a second, and then smiled.

"That offer for chips still on?" He grinned.

"You betcha." And then, programming in the co ordinates, they span off into the cosmos.


End file.
